Books

by Reese Witherspoon ; illustrated by Xindi Yan ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2022 Actor and author Witherspoon makes her picture-book debut. Betty, a light-skinned, bespectacled child with blond pigtails, was born busy. Constantly in motion, Betty builds big block towers, cartwheels around the house (underfoot, of course), and plays with the family’s “fantabulous” dog,

Celtic mythology has been a source of inspiration for writers, artists, and historians for centuries. The tales of King Arthur and his knights are perhaps the most famous from the broad collection of stories that fall under the ‘Celtic mythology’ umbrella, but there are many other tales and characters that are just as fascinating, including

Light Skin Gone to Waste, Toni Ann Johnson’s sharply observed linked story collection, follows the lives of psychologist Phil Arrington, his second wife, Velma, and their young daughter, Maddie, as they move from the Bronx to suburban Monroe, New York, in the early 1960s. Educated, sophisticated and striving for something different, the Arringtons are also

Superheroes have been around a long time, and most of the characters and genre conventions are pretty well established. But did every character always look and act the way we expect them to today? In this series, I’ll be looking at the first appearances of iconic superheroes to see what’s familiar, what’s fallen by the

Marlene dreads Sundays, when she and her mom, Paola, spend most of the day at the salon undergoing the excruciating (and excruciatingly boring) ritual of getting their hair straightened. Marlene, who is Dominican American, has an imagination as vivid and untameable as her naturally curly hair, so she survives each week’s torture session by imagining

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18, 2022 After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father. Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was

If “book sanctuary” is a new phrase to you, it’s likely because it is a new phrase more broadly. Book sanctuaries are institutions committed to upholding the First Amendment Rights of all citizens, wherein book bans and challenges must follow through a specific procedure to be considered. They are places where books and the right

As World War II recedes further into the past, Jonathan Freedland has revived one story from the Holocaust that’s both historically significant and a riveting read. Freedland, the author of several thrillers and a correspondent for The Guardian, writes with a novelist’s verve to tell the story of Rudolf Vrba, the first Jewish person to

Dame Angela Lansbury died on October 10 at age 96, and I am in mourning. One of the ways that I cope with losing an icon like this is by looking back at their life — and with a 75-year career, Lansbury left us a lot to revisit. Born October 16, 1925, in London, England,

Author Elaine Castillo proposes an open-minded and inclusive approach to literature and film in her radical, refreshing book on critical thinking, How to Read Now (9 hours). Castillo urges writers and readers to understand that nonwhite characters don’t exist for the sole purpose of teaching empathy to white people, and that the excuse “it was

by Mo Willems ; illustrated by Mo Willems ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 6, 2022 The Pigeon is on an emotional—and physical—roller coaster. Since learning about the existence of roller coasters, he’s become giddy with excitement. The Pigeon prepares mentally: He’ll need a ticket and “exemplary patience” to wait in line. He envisions zooming up and

Barnes & Noble is currently holding a huge Buy One, Get One 50% Off sale applied to hundreds of titles, both in store and online. It includes classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, bestsellers of the past few years like Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, and new releases like The Sacrifice by Rin

Nothing could have prepared Melanie Jayne Chisholm—aka Sporty Spice—for the loneliness, isolation and debilitating episodes of imposter syndrome that accompanied the extreme highs (and lows) of fame. In The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl, the singer, songwriter and tracksuit-wearing Brit carefully unpacks her nonlinear journey toward self-acceptance while pinned under the glare

From Wednesday, October 12th to Tuesday, October 18th, Book Riot will be matching donations to Taller Sallud for hurricane relief in Puerto Rico, up to $2,500 USD. Read on to see why why we’ve chosen to support this organization and for instructions on how to donate. On September 18th, Hurricane Fiona made landfall in Puerto

Actor Paul Newman was known for many things: acting, car racing, philanthropy through his Newman’s Own food business and, of course, his rugged good looks and piercing blue eyes. He was a beloved Hollywood icon, but he didn’t think of himself that way. In fact, he wrestled with internal demons throughout his life. Newman’s memoir,

by Colleen Hoover ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18, 2022 After being released from prison, a young woman tries to reconnect with her 5-year-old daughter despite having killed the girl’s father. Kenna didn’t even know she was pregnant until after she was sent to prison for murdering her boyfriend, Scotty. When her baby girl, Diem, was

The winners of the 2022 Harvey Awards were announced during New York Comic Con on October 8. The Harvey Awards, which began in 1988, are one of comics’ oldest running and most prestigious awards. They were named after Harvey Kurtzman, an American comics pioneer who is best known for creating MAD magazine in 1952. Outstanding

In this spellbinding romantic comedy from acclaimed author Therese Beharrie, a woman with a supernatural talent is haunted by one persistent spirit—and a seductive, impossible love . . . Once haunted . . .Gemma Daniels has never been quite the “down to earth” woman her adoptive parents raised her to be. She even has a

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Ruins and The Cold Millions comes a stunning collection about those moments when everything changes—for the better, for the worse, for the outrageous—as a diverse cast of characters bounces from Italy to Idaho, questioning their roles in life and finding inspiration in the unlikeliest places. We all live like we’re famous

October 11 and 12th are Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale days, offering exclusive sales to Prime members (existing or new) before the holidays. Here are some of the sales readers should know about. Beats Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones are 59% off: usually $350, it’s on sale for $142. Now no one can interrupt your